Flat Stomach: These Exercises Will Help You!

Let’s go: train your stomach! With our effective training, you will bring your belly and waist into top shape in time for the outdoor swimming season.

Exercising the stomach with an intelligent workout

It doesn’t have to be a six-pack. But many women want a slender belly, a feminine waist – after all, the outdoor pools will be open from May, and the 10-person ticket is practically already purchased. What very few women want: the umpteenth diet, which slims the stomach with merciless calorie deprivation, or the hard boot camp, which puts the stomach region on a washboard and forces it into a flat defensive position by means of permanent tension.

Instead, how about a new, intelligent abdominal muscle training that doesn’t demonize your abdominal fat as a problem zone, but rather challenges it and does you good. Get to know the basics of this special “belly legs butt” training and train your abdomen with varied professional exercises. Afterwards you can enjoy your new strong centre.

How does the intelligent abdominal muscle training work?

“We should not only train our stomachs, but bring them to life”, says fitness expert Karin Albrecht. To this end, she has developed an intelligent abdominal muscle workout that focuses on core training and abdominal breathing and boosts metabolism and circulation.

In order to get the abdomen and waist firm and flat, the deep, transverse abdominal muscles at the front and waist, the muscles directly at the spine, and the pelvic floor and diaphragm muscles at the bottom and top are particularly required. This “core quartet” ensures correct posture all round and moves the organs to the right places – so the abdominal wall also plays less of a role.

1. Lifting the abdomen

That’s how it’s done: The first thing you do in this exercise is the four-footed position (hands are under the shoulder, knees under the hip joints). Long torso, pelvis neutral and the natural curve in the lower back. Exhaling with the lower abdomen lift: gently pull it upwards, hold this core control for 3-4 breaths and then slowly lower your stomach in a controlled manner. Mobilize the spine in between and bend and stretch in an even curve.

That’ll do it: Activates the core muscles and trains the torso stabilizers. Goodbye abdominal fat.

So often: 5-10 repetitions.

That’s what matters: Put your hands in the ground, stabilize your body along the longitudinal axis.

Variation for advanced users: Abdominal lift with raised hand In the final position of the abdominal lift, raise one hand a few millimetres parallel to the floor. Continue breathing. Then change sides. Keep torso and shoulder girdle as stable as possible.

2. Dipping the heels

That’s how it’s done: Supine position, legs in the bench position (thighs above the hip joints, lower legs parallel to the floor, 90-90-90 degrees), arms rotated outside next to the upper body, palms to the ceiling. Upper body long, pelvis neutral. Adjust the lumbar lordosis and, exhaling, pull the lower abdomen inwards, hold and continue breathing. Now, as you exhale, lower one leg to the floor with the heel in a controlled manner and return to the starting position. Change legs. To relax, grasp the thighs with your hands.

That’ll do it: Strengthens the middle abdominal muscle layer. Flat stomach, you can come!

So often: 2-3 sets of 4-12 repetitions per leg.

That’s what matters: Breathe and move as slowly as possible, lumbar lordosis remains stable.

Variation for advanced users: Heel dip with heel thrust From the heel dip, slightly rotate the leg outwards and stretch it forward flat over the ground. Hold 2-3 breaths, back to the bench position. Change sides.

3. Shaping the waist

That’s how it’s done: Supine position, legs in the bench position (90-90-90 degrees). The arms are rotated to the side. The upper body is long, the pelvis neutral. Adjust lumbar lordosis, pull lower abdomen inwards. Now lower both legs and pelvis to one side in a controlled manner. Lift the sternum and increase the longitudinal tension of the body. Hold for 1-3 breaths. Then change sides.

That’ll do it: Activates the core muscles, especially the middle layer.

So often: 20-25 times. That’s all that matters: Keep your lumbar lordosis in place. Keep your shoulder girdle and arms down.

Variation for advanced users: Waist shaper with raised arms In the rotated end position, raise arms flat, pull shoulder blades towards the pelvis and turn the head to the opposite direction. Change sides. Increase longitudinal body tension.

4. Flat crunch

That’s how it’s done: Lie on your back, legs bent, feet hip-wide apart. Hands support the back of the head. Adjust and stabilize lumbar lordosis – pull lower abdomen inwards and keep it inwards. When breathing out, lift the upper body slightly above the floor. Then slowly lower again.

That’s what it does: Strengthens the entire abdominal musculature.

So often: 2 sets of 8-12 repetitions.

That’s what matters: Keep the pelvis neutral and the lumbar lordosis stable. When breathing out and coming up, the abdomen must move inwards, when breathing in it may move slightly outwards.

5. Visualize the digestive fire

That’s how it’s done: With your feet on your back, let your toes fall out. Place your hands comfortably on your stomach, one hand above and the other below the navel. With a deep exhalation let stress and tension flow mentally out of the body, then breathe in and out deeply into the belly and direct attention to the belly. Now imagine your digestive fire behind the navel as clearly as possible and fan the glow, glow or flicker of the flames with your breath for a few minutes. Afterwards feel it out.

That’ll do it: With inner images we influence thought patterns, health and well-being positively. With the digestive fire – called “Agni” in Ayurveda – we not only “digest” our food, but also events, thoughts and feelings.

In addition to the slimming training, you should also pay attention to the right diet to avoid flatulence and to get a slim belly. For example, if you do sport, you should eat proteins and complex carbohydrates – calories are not the most important thing when it comes to belly fat.